The Chaos Tunnel
by Kittycorn
Summary: Sequel to Chaos at Hogwarts, posted with Lightning's permission. Learning about the Tunnel, some Dudley- and Malfoy-bashing, they make their own Marauders'-type map, and the Chaos Club acquires new members. Please read and review, and check out Lightning'
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I do not own Hogwarts, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I am posting this with permission and help from Lightning, because she has decided not to post any new stories on fanfiction.net. This is her property, so don't pester her if it shows up under her name somewhere else, because it _is_ her property—I merely edited it and posted it. It is the sequel to _Chaos at Hogwarts_, which can be found by doing a search by title for _Chaos at Hogwarts_ and choosing the one written by Lightning (apparently there is another _Chaos at Hogwarts_ written by someone else, but Lightning assures me that the title is entirely her own idea, since it was in the works for a few years before she discovered fanfiction.net.).

The Chaos Tunnel was a thing of myth. Legends about it dated back even further than those about the Chamber of Secrets. The Chaos Tunnel was older than Hogwarts. In fact, shortly after Hogwarts was founded, talk of the Chaos Tunnel all but stopped.

            Now, Zach and I were standing in the Chaos Tunnel. I remembered the most prevalent myth about it, that it led anywhere and everywhere. "Let's see if the stories are true, that this tunnel can take you anywhere," Zach said, as if he'd read my mind.

            "No," I said, looking at my watch. "It's getting late, and we need to get back home."

            The wall before us opened. We walked forward, out of a roiling black cloud, onto the grass of Zachary's lawn. The cloud dissipated behind us.

            Zach offered, "I'll call Rachel and Jim," just as it started to rain. We hurried into his house, wringing the water ot of our clothes. I was grateful that he'd offered to call, because I, myself, while being fascinated by all things Muggle-made, have this instinctual fear of technology. Luckily I was born in a wizarding family.

            Both my parents work for the Ministry of Magic, so I overhear many things not meant for my ears. This helped me determine two years previously that Sirius Black was actually innocent, and that it was Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed the Potters on that fateful night so many years ago. My name is Emerald Jones, but I prefer to be called Mera—or Lightning, my Chaos club nickname. The others in the Club were Zachary Taylor, my best friend and next-door neighbor, called Thunder, Muggle-born Rachel "Moonbeam" Smith, and James "Burn" Johnson. I must confess that our names are a take-off on Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. I saw the Marauders' Map in Moody's office last year and was absolutely taken by the idea.

            When our friends arrived, we showed them how we'd gotten into the Chaos Tunnel. Jim was reading this great leather-bound volume at the time. He reminded me of myself, since I always have my nose in a book.

            "We don't need to go into the caves," Jim said. "The key to opening the Chaos Tunnel is a song, it says so right here. The music and words were lost when the last person who knew them was imprisoned in Azkaban for life. Ah, here it is. 'The Chaos Tunnel is a legendary passageway that supposedly exists in another dimension. According to rumor, it leads everywhere, except special places like the Chamber of Secrets. One legend states that the last person to open the Chaos Tunnel was imprisoned in Azkaban. She—.'"

            At this point I interupted him. "She? This was a girl?"

            Jim gave me a whithering glare. " '_She  _could not escape because the Chaos Tunnel has no terminus in Azkaban. All legends agree that the key to open the Chaos Tunnel was music, and several say it was a song, though the song has long been forgotten.

            " 'The story of Kilara, the last person to open the Tunnel, is recorded in _The Killer's Tale_, which can be checked out from select libraries, one of which is the library at Hogwarts.'"

            While he was talking I'd been singing the Song of Chaos. Now the Chaos Cloud was before us, and we all walked through. Rachel shivered a bit as the cloud enclosed her.

            "Where should we go?" I asked.

            Jim smirked and said, "Why don't you decide, O great and glorious leader?"

            "Alright," I decided. "We'll see what Potter is up to. I've always wondered what he does during the summer."

            The Tunnel wall before us became a dark gray mass, and we stepped through it onto a neatly trimmed lawn. Quickly, before we could be seen, we performed Invisibility Charms on each other, a spell we'd made up the year previous.

            There was an extremely fat kid nearby, who was perhaps three years older than us. "That's Dudley Dursley," Jim whispered. "Potter's cousin. He beats up on kids for fun."

            Next we saw Potter himself, who began to taunt his cousin, calling him things like "Dudders" and "Ickle Duddykins." Then dementors appeared, two of them, and they both went for Potter. "What was that spell again?" Jim asked. "_Expect a Patronus_?"

            "_Expecto Patronum,_" I corrected. Then, of course, I fainted.

            Voldemort was standing over me, wand raised. Everything was dark, so dark that I could hardly see his face, but it was terrifying all the same, what I could see of it. He yelled "_Avada Kedavra!_" and there wasa great flash of green light, and an awful pain in my forehead, before—

            Blackness. I floated in a void, with no feeling whatsoever, all five senses disconnected, even my thoughts incoherent.

            "Mera, Mera, wake up." The voice belonged to Rachel, and I reveled in the music of it. Ah, beautiful sound, I could hear again! Someone splashed cold water on my face, and I opened my mouth to let the fresh water roll over my tongue. Then I opened my eyes, and I could see. I just wanted to lay there, experiencing the sounds and sights, as one who was deaf and blind but can now see and hear. But the others would have none of it.

            "I know you're awake, Mera, it's no use pretending," Zach informed me. "Get up, before your father worries himself to death."

            "Those dementors," I said slowly. "They made me have a nightmare about something that's never happened."

            The next day we went again to spy on Potter, but also to keep an eye on Dursley to make sure he didn't beat up on any little kids. Sure enough, when we exited the Tunnel, there was Dudley, about to punch a little boy who couldn't have been older than nine or ten. As if we'd rehearsed it, we snatched the boy right from inunder Dudley's fist, passing him back until he got to Rachel, who put a protective arm around him and surveyed the gang defiantly, just daring them to try to harm the little boy.

            "Well look who's here," I said. "Ickle Duddykins." Right in front of his entire gang, too. Served him right. I don't like bullies. Except Malfoy, he's a hottie, but I get these strange urges to break his nose or strangle him rather often.

            "You've been talking to Harry, haven't you?" Dudley demanded.

            "Actually, no," I replied. "I rather fancy myself a spy. Of course, the Slytherin here lets his snakes do the dirty work for him."

            "Hey!" Zach protested.

            Rachel grinned. "I think he represents that remark."

            I laughed, and Zach pushed me, so I pushed him back. We shoved each other for a few seconds before Zach said, "Why are we pushing each other?"

            "It's because you're a boy, so you're _stultus_," I explained. "Not as stupid as the beached whale here, though. You know, in boys it seems stupidity is proportional to size. Yes, definitely, because they tend to get stupider as they get older." Then I focused on the problem at hand. "Zach. Jim. Back-to-back. You two take out the rest of the gang. Dudley popkin is _mine_." I pressed my fist against my knuckles. They made an ugly cracking sound. After circling Dudley for a bit, a brought my fists up and whamed him on both temples, all in one quick motion. He dropped like a sack of wet potatoes, not that he'd ever eaten anything that healthy in his life. In short order Zach and Jim had taken out the rest of the gang.

            "Run home," Rachel told the kid, and he obeyed, after casting one terified glance at the unconscious bullies.

            "Now what?" Zach asked.

            "We watch Potter. Poor boy doesn't have any girl to look after him," I said.

            "They're beginning to stir," Jim said, nudging them with a toe. "What do you want me to do?"

            "Leave that to me," I said. "A thousand years or more ago, when I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown, whose names are still well known:..." Soon Dudley and his gang were all snoring. "You know, they are so mean they almost deserve for the "C"-Curse to be used on them."

            "Yeah, and I'd do it," Zach said, "Except I'd get in trouble."

            "Which you'd talk your way out of, Honeytongue," Jim retorted. "Speaking of trouble, we're going to be in trouble for using those Invisibility Charms."

            The gang was stirring again, and I had a better idea this time. "I think you're gay, Dudley. Might as well have accused yourself, accusing Potter of having a boyfriend. As they say, 'Takes one to know one.' Not that _I'm_ shaych or anything."

            Zach made a disapproving noise. "Mera, you shouldn't be reading Mercedes Lackey. Those books are so not appropriate for your age level."

            "Look who's talking." I lowered my voice. "Cover your ears I'm going to sing Nightblades—in a weird key, and very badly." Louder, I sang, or rather _screeched_, "they come creeping out of darkness, and to darkness they return..." (A/N: The song "Nightblades" is property of Mercedes Lackey, and is not my creation.) I walked up to each member of the gang, screaming in their ears, and they ran in all directions. My taunts followed them. "Can't you big boys take on one little girl? Or am I too old? I _am_ only three years younger than you, after all." I turned to my friends. "Come on. I've had enough bully-bashing for one day. Let's go home."

            Sure enough, I got an owl from the Ministry informing me that if I used any more magic outside school I would be expelled. The others also got them, as I found out when we met next. "So did Potter," said Jim. "Because he used to Patronus Charm. They've expelled him. Don't even ask how I know, it's one of _those_ things." The thing about Jim is that he just _knows_ things, knows them without a doubt but also without any reason to know them.

            "They've _expelled_ him?!" Zach shrieked. "They can't do that, he needs to learn magic so he can defeat Voldemort."

            "There's nothing we can do about it," said Jim. "Oh, before I forget, I found an entire section on the Chaos Tunnel. Here, read it." He shoved the book under my nose, and I read.

**The Chaos Tunnel:**

                The Chaos Tunnel is believed by most to be a thing of legend, but I know better. My grandparents came from Chaos, so I would know that it is real. They speak a language of their own, the people of that wondrous realm, a language unlike any of the myriad tongues of Earth, and quite impossible for the average Earthling to pronounce.

                The Tunnel itself is quite amazing, for it allows one to cross several miles with a single step, and can be used to get into and out of Hogwarts nearly as fast as one could by Apparating. The only drawback is the song one must sing to open the Tunnel, which takes rather a long time, or so I have been told. I, myself, having no interest in using the Tunnel, never bothered to learn the song which opens it, so I can not say from personal experience that it is long, but my grandfather claimed it was so, and I have every reason to believe him.

                Kilara, Heir of Chaos, is the only person living on Earth at this moment who knows how to open the Tunnel, and she is imprisoned in Azkaban prison. Let us hope that nobody from Chaos comes here, for if they do it will mean war between Chaos and Earth, for they will soon learn that their Princess is imprisoned. If that happens, the people of Chaos, fierce fighters that they are, will surely exterminate the wizards of Earth. I am surprised that they have not already come, for surely they must wonder where the Heir is, and why she has not returned.

                At the moment I am raising Kilara's young son, Lester Stormwind. I have not told him that he is a prince for fear that it would go to his head. He is quite a charming young boy, and I expect him to become quite a successful wizard. However I have been regretting the fact that I never learned how to open the Chaos Tunnel, for Lester may be the only surviving Heir of Chaos in a few short years, and I wish he could go to Chaos and claim his birthright, when he is ready. But that cannot be.

                Still I hope that one day a Monarch will once again reign in Chaos, because it would be tragic if that land were to go kingless forever.

                There may yet be hope. I write this more than three decades after I wrote the last. Lester has a grown daughter now, Ariana Stormwind, who may yet become a great seer. She made her first prophecy today, and it seems to be about a time far in the future, but has all the markings of true prophecy. Only a seer of great talent could see so far, but with the magic of Chaos anything is possible, and that magic runs strong in her veins. Here is the prophecy:

                _She shall be born on the day most consider bad luck, but for her only good luck shall be. Her eyes shall be emerald, and so shall her name, and her friends three shall there be. One in each House, at Hogwarts no less, and weilding a power so great that the Dark Lord returned shall flee from their wrath, though these four shall not be his death....And the girl shall be marked by the symbol of Chaos....Born on the day most consider bad luck...._

                "No way," I said, shaking my head. "There is no freaking way. Yet—'One in each House,'—I don't know, maybe it is possible, who am I to say? It's probably just another one of those lovely coincidences that surround my life."

            Zach said the same thing as me when he read it, though he used a different word than "freaking." He used a word that made me gasp, "_Zach!_"

            "Mera," Rachel said slowly, "were you born on Friday the 13th, by any chance?"

            "Yes, I was," I replied. " 'Born on the day most consider bad luck....Her eyes shall be emerald, and so shall her name....One in each House, at Hogwarts no less...' It certainly seems to mean us."

            "There's one problem," Rachel said triumphantly. "You aren't marked with the symbol of Chaos, whatever that is."

            I shook my head. "Who else could it mean? Listen, we don't even know what the symbol of Chaos is, it could be anything, for all we know it's the fact that I've got slightly pointed ears."

            "It's not that," Jim said, an odd note in his voice. "The symbol of Chaos is a lightning bolt with a circle around it, or sometimes just a lightning bolt."

            "That settles it," Rachel said. "Or—goodness, maybe it'll happen later—but in that case—there's only one person who survived—nevermind, I'm just babbling." I didn't believe it when she said it, and I still don't believe it. There was something she had figured out that she didn't want to tell the rest of us, probably because it pertained to my future, and it sounded like I might die or something from what she did say.

            I went home that night with a whole heck of a lot to mull over.


	2. Stormwind

I saw Potter at Platform 9 ¾, followed by a large, black dog. "I thought you said they expelled him," I told Jim.

            "They did," he protested, "but then he got off. The Ministry is a bunch of jerks. They've assigned us a DADA teacher this year, and trust me, she's a demon from hell."

            "Worse than Snape?" I asked, grinning. No one could be worse than Snape.

            "Worse than Snape," Jim confirmed, and I began to feel faint. I could almost feel the blood draining from my face as I went numb. _So this is why some people faint when they're scared. The blood drains out of their head._ Trust me to figure out the answer to a problem that's been bugging me for years while I'm scared to death.

            "No way," I said. "There is no freaking way anyone could be worse than Snape."

            Jim said grimly, "Snape is a cute, cuddly teddy-bear compared to this woman."

            "Well," Zach said, "then we'll just have to add her to our list of targets."

            "She has got to be clueless," I said. "She must misinterpret everything. You know what, I could pull off my fainting trick in her class. And I'm sure the Stormwinds would oblige us by playing a bunch of pranks on her."

            "No need to even talk to _them,_" Rachel said. "They'll put a new teacher at the top of their victim list as a matter of course."

            The Stormwinds were purebloods, mostly in Ravenclaw, who liked playing pranks on people. They were worse than the Weasley twins, who usually got the blame for their pranks—worse than Peeves, their "buddy," who was also a common victim. Poor Peeves. That was how bad the Stormwinds were—they made me feel sorry for Peeves.

            "Listen," I said, "I have some great prank ideas, involving the Chaos Tunnel. I'm wondering if it goes to Hogwarts."

            "Let's find out," said Zach, and we began singing, at the top of our lungs just to annoy the other people on the train, "I see beauty in destruction…." The cloud appeared before us, and we stepped through into the tunnel. "Hogwarts," Zach said, and we stepped out of another cloud into the Great Hall.

            "Ooh," said Peeves, "naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty. You're not supposed to be here yet."

            "Well, Peeves, we won't get caught unless you turn us in, and you wouldn't do that, now would you? It's your responsibility as an honorary member of the Chaos Club to watch our backs."

            "Brilliant, Zach!" I exclaimed as Peeves happily agreed not to tell on us. "Oh, Peeves, there's a new teacher at the school. If you would please try to play a few pranks on her."

            Peeves cackled maliciously.

            "Come on!" Rachel hissed. "We have to hide until the train gets here."

            "We have the whole school to ourselves," Jim observed. "Perfect time to look for secret passageways."

            "We have the Chaos Tunnel," Zach scoffed. "What else do we need?"

            "What if we're running away, and don't have time to sing that song?" I pointed out. "And that cloud is rather noticeable—much better if we appear from behind a tapestry than if we come running out of a black cloud at ground level."

            "Right," agreed Rachel, the only sane one. "But we need to be back in time for the Sorting."

            That was when Filch appeared. "What have we here?"

            Peeves, who hadn't moved, suddenly flew off. Well, at least we knew he hadn't alerted Filch.

            "We were visiting Hogsmeade with our parents," Rachel explained. "But since it's about time for everyone else to arrive, they let us walk over to the school." It was a pretty good explanation, and Filch was at a loss for what to say.

            "Nice kitty," I said, scratching Mrs. Norris behind the ears. "Isn't she precious?"

            Once Filch left, Rachel turned to the rest of us. "I've decided to tell you my thoughts one Mera having the 'symbol of Chaos,'" she announced. "The symbol of Chaos is a lightning bolt. Who do we know with a lightning bolt scar?"

            "Harry Potter," Jim gasped. "But it can't be. We don't even know how he survived that. There's no way--."

            My hand involuntarily went to my forehead. "So, you think someone is going to use vada-davra on me, and I'll survive?" Jim was right; it was impossible.

            "I don't know what to think," Rachel admitted. "Surely you can't be in any danger, Voldemort doesn't even know who you are."

            Then I had another thought. "The Stormwinds. Ariana Stormwind, mentioned in the excerpt. You think they could be--?"

            Zach laughed. "They certainly create enough chaos."

            "That they do," I agreed. "We should talk with them, don't you think?"

            "Yeah, we should," Jim agreed thoughtfully. "Have you ever seen their ears?"

            "What about them?" I asked, intrigued but a bit annoyed.

            "They're slightly pointed—like yours." His voice deepened considerably. "Their ears are pointed because they have legendary elf blood."

            "Elf blood?" Zach asked, confused. "You mean they're descended from House-elves?"

            "Of course not, silly," Rachel chided. "There are other elves than House-elves. Haven't you read any mythology? The elves of legend were tricksters, much like the Stormwinds. They had powerful magic, as well."

            "The elves of legend were not true elves, but Kheosinz who came to Earth through the Chaos Tunnel." Jim's voice was still deep and mysterious. "The Stormwinds are descended from these 'elves.'"

            "Come on," Zach said. "We were going to discover secret tunnels."

            For the next hour, we searched the castle for places that could hide secret tunnels. Rachel drew a map of everywhere we went, and wherever there was room for an extra hallway, we searched for places that could be entrances to hidden passageways. We found quite a few that way, but entered the Great Hall convinced that there were several more hidden behind the moving staircases—in other words, we were paranoid, and seeing hidden tunnels everywhere.

            "Hey there, walking encyclopedia," one of the Stormwinds greeted me. "I didn't see you on the train. Where were you?"

            "I was discussing with my friends who your ancestors might be," I replied primly, struggling to keep from laughing at his confused expression. "We concluded that you must be descended from the elves of legend, who aren't true elves but are really people from a land called Chaos."

            "Oh, sure, and you're the Queen of Chaos," Stormwind replied sarcastically, and ironically as well—but that part comes later, and I mustn't get ahead of myself.

            "Actually, I'm serious," I informed him. "We were reading something about Chaos, and apparently one Lester Stormwind was the son of Kilara Kheosin, the daughter of the last King of Chaos. Interesting, yes?"

            "You're making it up," Stormwind said incredulously.

            "It's true," I insisted. "Anyway, it explains why you're so much more powerful than everyone else."

            Stormwind raised his eyebrows. "You're just stroking my ego."

            Jim caught my eye from the Gryffindor table. _He's an Animagus. He became one during his second year. His alternative form is a weasel. _I didn't have time to wonder at this, so I put that off for later.

            "Am not!" I protested. I lowered my voice. "I know you're an Animagus. You've been one since your second year."

            Stormwind didn't have the decency to look surprised. "You're not supposed to know. Tell me, did you find out as Mera or as Lightning."

            Now it was my turn to look surprised, and I couldn't keep the startled expression off my face, much to my disappointment. "How do you know about Lightning?" I hissed. No one was supposed to know about Lightning except Jim, Zach, and Rachel.

            "I have my methods." He smirked. "Actually, I found out while in weasel form. Pretty dumb Animagus animal, isn't it?"

            "Yeah," I agreed, "it is. So, I suppose I'm going to have to let you into the Chaos Club. You'll need a nickname, of course. And I'm the leader, just so you know. Next meeting, could you teach the rest of us how to become Animagi?"

            "Gah!" he exclaimed. "I don't know if I'll be able to accept orders from a twelve-year-old. At least you know how to lead, though, I'll give you that. Chaos Club, you say? Okay, I'm in! And sure, I'll teach the rest of you to become Animagi." He cackled evilly. "Ooh, that was one of my pranks to play on McGonagall, it'll work so well. You're only second-years, but next year McGonagall will teach you about Animagi. If you don't mind getting caught, transform then. It'll make her so mad."

            I also grinned. "That would be funny, just seeing the look on her face."

            "Right. So when's the next meeting?" Stormwind asked, but at that point the Sorting Hat broke out in song.

            "Sh!" I told him. "Let's listen to the song."

In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The Founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
The four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Might someday be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest."  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A House in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor,  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the Houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But the discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The Houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the Houses been united  
And they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether Sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you….  
Let the Sorting now begin.

            That sort of thing could make a person want to take action, and take action we did, all four of us acting at once, echoing the Sorting Hat: "Let the Sorting now begin!" I turned to Stormwind. "Talk to your relatives, see if any of them will join the Chaos Club."

            "Rather long song, don't you think?" Stormwind observed. "Does it really expect all the Houses to get along?"

            I gave pointed looks in the directions of Zach, Jim, and Rachel. "Welcome to the Chaos Club, Stormwind."

            "Toby," he corrected. "My name is Toby. And my nickname is Prankster."

            Oh, yes. I remembered then. This was Toby Stormwind, prankster extraordinaire, worse troublemaker than Fred and George combined, son of the only person who had ever managed to annoy Peeves. "Okay then, Toby. Our goal this year is to make the new DADA teacher decide to leave."

            "We have a new DADA teacher?" Toby asked. "Who?"

            "That lady," I pointed at the short, squat, frog-faced woman who had just gotten to her feet—not that anyone had noticed except myself and Dumbledore, for she was really no taller standing than she was sitting.

            "_Hem, hem,_" said Professor Umbridge, who had just been introduced by Professor Dumbledore.

            Dumbledore sat down and acted as if he would like nothing more than to hear what she had to say. "He'd make a pretty good prankster," Toby observed, and I snickered a bit before reprimanding him. "Listen! We might learn about her personality by listening to her speech."

            "Right!" Toby agreed, and fell silent.

            "Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

            "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. At that point I went into observation mode, resolving to soak up the content of her speech without listening to the actual words. Basically all she said was that the only progress to be allowed this year would be what the Ministry deemed necessary, and nothing else could change. I rolled my eyes at the part about "progress for progress's sake," since that was what chaos was all about: constant change.

            "I think she's a vampire," Toby said, noticing that I wasn't really listening either. "Look at her teeth!"

            "I noticed," I said sardonically. "And here I was, thinking Snape might be a vampire. The only problem was the teeth."

            "You think I could get away with transfiguring her into a toad?" Toby speculated.

            I laughed. "I don't think anyone would notice if you transfigured her into a toad."

            Toby grinned back. "So, is she using the old DADA office?"

            "Probably."

            "Great. I have an idea. Not very creative—Muggles use it all the time at camp—but Umbridge won't be expecting it in the least." Toby grinned maliciously. "This year is going to be rather interesting."

            How right he was.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please review! Please! I like getting reviews, and no one has reviewed this story yet. I don't know how I'm doing.


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